Drive motor control for engine electric driven vehicles



June 17, 1952 M. MATHlAS DRIVE MOTOR CONTROL FOR ENGINE. ELECTRIC DRIVENVEHICLES 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 Filed April 8, 1949 & m Y WM M Wm M fi 4 Twmmh E! 1 25:: v M N g N N r, wB

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DRIVE MOTOR CONTROL. FOR ENGINE ELECTRIC DRIVEN VEHICLES June 3, 1952 2SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed April 8, 1:49

INVENTOR. BEE N M. M4 TH/A 5,

.47'TOE/VE Y5.

Patented June 17, 1952 UNITED DRIVE MOTOR CONTROL FOR ENGINE ELECTRICDRIVEN VEHICLES Berton M. Mathias, Monte Vista, 0010.

Application April 8, 1949, Serial No. 86,344

4 Claims. I

This invention relates to motor controls for anelectric vehicletransmission, and more particularly to a control for the drive motor ofthe trailer component of a tractor trailer vehicle, and constitutes acontinuation-in-part of my prior application, now abandoned, Serial No.80,222, filed Marchi8, 1949.

Many heavy vehicles now in use are equipped with internal combustionengines, particularly of the diesel engine type, with engine-drivenelectric current generators, wheel or axle-driving motors and meansincluding, manual controls electrically connecting the: generator to themotors. Frequently such vehicles are equipped with governor-controlleddiesel engines which operate at a substantially constant speed, but atvarying power output, and the speed of thevehicle is controlled byregulating the current sup plied to the driving motors by theengine-driven generator. In the case of a large tractor-trailer vehicleequipped with: one or more drive motors on the tractor, it is conceivedthat material advantage can be obtained by providing a drive axle at therear end of the. trailer component of the vehicle and drivinglyconnecting a trailer drive or booster motor to such drive axle to applyvehicle-driving power at the rear end of such a vehicle. Such trailercomponents may include both full and semi-trailers and such devices aselectrically driven v earth-moving semitractors used with electricdriven trailers. This is of maximum advantage when the vehicle is usedon steep grades, and on uneven road surfaces. It isfuther conceived thatwhere such a traileror booster motor is used, its power mustlbeaccurately and positively controlled, so that it. does not tend, at anytime, tocause the trailer componentto over-run the tractor component ofthe vehicle, particularly when the vehicle is rounding a curve or makinga turn It is, therefore, among the objects of the in vention to providean improved engine-electric drive for a tractortrailer road vehicleincluding a. booster drive motor driving the wheels of the trailercomponent of the vehicle, and con trol means. including a boostermotor-power control responsive to the angularrelationship between thetractor and trailer components of the vehicle to decrease the boostermotor-power in response to increase of angularity' between the vehiclecomponents, and increase the booster" motor power in response todecrease of angularity between the vehicle components, which motor-powercontrol is carried by one of the vehicle components and operated: by theother, does not interfere, in any way, with coupli-ng and uncouplingvehicle components, and is automatically conditioned for operation whenthe trailer component is coupled to the tractor component of thevehicle, does notr'equire any material modification of the vehiclestructure for its installation, andwhich is simple and-dun able inconstruction, economical to manufacture and install, and fully automaticin operation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description and the appended: elaims in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of an engine-electricdriven,tractor-trailer vehicle of a type to which the device of the inventioncan be advantageously applied;

Figure 2 is a sideelevation of a fragmentary portion of the vehicleillustrated in Figure 1 showing the fifth wheel connection between thetractor and trailer components of the vehicle, and a, motor-control unitillustrative of the invention mounted on the tractor component of thevehicle and operated, by the two" rotatably associated parts of thefifth-wheel assembly upon turning of one of the vehicle component'srelative to the other;

Figure 3 is-a top plan view of the tractor component-carried fifth wheeland the control apparatus of the invention;

Figure 4- is atransveirse cross-section on the line 4-4 of Figure3';

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-section on the line 5-5 of Figure3; and

Figure 6 is adiagrammatic illustration of the power generatingv anddrive-unit components and the connections between these'components,illustrating various power controls and showing: the location of. thecontrol device of the application in the power-control circuit.

Withcontinuedreference to the drawings, the vehicle, as illustrated inFigures 1 and2,-com prises a tractor component, generally indicated atH], and a trailer component, generally indicated at ll.

The tractor component HI may be of known or conventional construction,and comprises a frame 12 mounted upon a front, steering axle" t3-supported by front wheels IA, and rear drive wheels IS. The framesupports the cab: H, an internal combustion engine 18', an engine-drivenmain generator [9, a motor field-exciting: generator 2-0, and atractor-carried component 2| of a fifth-wheel assembly which pivotallycouples the front end of the trailer component I I to the rear end ofthe tractor component I0. The tractor component also includes a drivemotor 22 drivingly connected to the rear drive axle l and electricallyconnected to the main generator I0 and the auxiliary, field-excitinggenerator 20.

The trailer component includes an elongated frame 23 supported near itsrear end on a rear drive axle 24, which drive axle is supported by therear trailer Wheels 25 and to which a trailerdriving motor 26 isdrivingly connected. The frame supports the trailer body 21 and carries,near its front end, the trailer component 28 of the fifth-wheelassembly.

The fifth-wheel assembly may be of entirely conventional constructionand, in the arrangement illustrated, includes a tractor-carried circularplate 30 having a central, circular aperture 3|, and a sector-shapedopening 32 extending rearwardly from the central aperture 3|.

This plate is mounted for-pivotal movement about an axis transverse tothe tractor frame by suitable plate-carried lugs 33 pivotally connectedto tractor frame-carried lugs 34 by respective pivot pins or bolts 35,and this plate carries manually-releasable locking means 36 ofconventional construction for locking the tractor and trailer componentsof a vehicle together.

The trailer-carried component of the fifthwheel assembly includes acircular plate 1 cured in position below the trailer frame near thefront end of the latter by a suitable web structure 38, and a shoulderedpin 39 which extends from the trailer frame through the plate 31 and ismovable into the central aperture 3! in the tractor-carried plate 30through the sector-shaped opening 32 in the tractor-carried plate. Whenthe pin 33 is in the aperture 3i, the latch means 36 locks the pin inthe plate 30 from which it can be removed only when the lock means ismanually released.

Figure 6 diagrammatically illustrates, in simplified form, a suitablepower-control system electrically connecting the generators I6 and 20 tothe motors 22 and 26. This power-control system may be any one ofvarious known or desired systems and may include various features whichhave been omitted from the diagrammatio showing in Figure 6 for thepurpose of simplifying the illustration.

In the arrangement illustrated, the engine I3 is represented as a dieseltype, internal-combustion engine having a speed-controlling governor 40driven from the engine by suitable gearing, such as that indicated at4I, and operatively connected to the engine fuel-injection pump bysuitable link-and-lever system, as indicated at 43. The governor may beset for a predetermined speed, or maybe manually adjustable foroperation of the engine at various selected speeds within apredetermined speed range.

The main generator I9, driven by the engine I8, may be of any known ordesired construction, and may have separately excited field coilsenergized by a battery or by the auxiliary generator 20, or coils forboth methods of excitation, in addition to its main coil windings whichmay be in shunt of its rotor or in series with the rotor or arranged inboth shunt and series. These various forms of generators are well knownto the art, and any desired form may be selected without, in any way,exceeding the scope of the invention.

In the arrangement illustrated, the main generator I8 has a rotor 44equipped with two sepae. in

thereto.

rate sets of brushes 45 and 46 and with two respective main fieldwindings 41 and 46. The set of generator brushes 45 are connected tocorresponding brushes 49 associated with the rotor 50 of the tractormotor 22 by the conductors 5| and 52 and the set of generator brushes 46is connected to the brushes 53 associated with the rotor 54 of thetrailer motor 26 by the conductors 55 and 56.

The tractor motor 22 has a field winding 51, the trailer motor 26 has afield winding 58 and the field exciting generator 20 has a rotor 59equipped with a pair of brushes 60 and a field winding 6|. The fieldwinding 6! is shown as connected in shunt of the rotor brushes 60 of thefield exciting generator and a variable resistance unit 62 is interposedbetween the field winding 6| and one of the brushes 60 to regulate theexcitation of this field winding.

The brushes 60 of field exciting generator are connected to respectivelyopposite ends of the main generator field winding 41 by conductors 63and 64 and to the respectively opposite ends of main generator fieldwinding 48 by conductors I00 and IN leading from the conductors 63 and64 respectively. A reversing switch I02 is interposed in the conductors63 and 64 -between the connections between these conductors and theconductors I00 and WI and the generator brushes 60 to simultaneouslyreverse the exciting current through both main generator field windings41 and 48 and thereby reverse the operation of both motors 22 and 26 byreversing the direction of the energizing direct current applied Thiswill permit reversal of the direction of travel of the generator andmotor equipped vehicle when desired.

A variable resistance unit I03 is interposed between one side of thereversing switch I02 and the corresponding brush 60 of the fieldexciting generator to regulate the strength of excitation of the maingenerator field windings 41 and 46 thereby controlling the outputvoltage of the main generator to the motors 22 and 20, and

regulating the speed of the motors.

I04 and I 05 extend respectively respectively to the opposite ends ofthe tractor.

motor field winding 51 and similar conductors I08 and I09 lead from theconductors I04 and I 05 to the field winding 56 of the trailer motor 26.

A variable resistance unit H0 is interposed in the conductor I04 betweenboth motor field windings 51 and 58 and the corresponding field excitinggenerator brush 60 to regulate the strength of excitation of the motorfield windings thereby providing, if desired, an additional means tofurther vary the speed of these motors, the conductor 63 being connectedto the conductor I04 between the variable resistance unit I I0 and thecorresponding brush 60 so that the resistance unit II 0 does not offsetthe excitation of the main generator field windings 41 and 48.

A variable resistance unit 66, the resistance of which varies inaccordance with the degree of angularity between the tractor and trailercomponents of the vehicle, is interposed in the conductor I00 leading toone end of the main generator field winding 48 which corresponds to theset of main generator brushes .6 from which the trailer motor 26 isenergized.

' angle of 180 degrees between them.

The variable resistance unit 66 is automatically operated by changes inboth directions of the angularity between the tractor and trailercomponents of the vehicle to progressively decrease the strength ofexcitation of the main generator field 48 upon decrease of the anglebetween the longitudinal center lines of the pivotally connected vehiclecomponents below 180 degrees to thereby progressively decrease thedriving effort of the trailer motor 26, the motor efiort being reducedsubstantially to zero at some predetermined angle greater than 90degrees.

As shown in Figure 6 the variable resistance unit 66 comprises anelongated resistance element III and a contactor H2 slidable along theresistance element from one end to the other and disposed substantiallyat the mid-length location of the resistance element when thelongitudinal center lines of the two vehicle components are inlongitudinal alignment with an One end of the conductor I is connectedto the re sistance element III substantially at the midleng'th locationof the latter and the other end of this conductor is connected to theslide H2.

The variable resistance unit 66 may be provided in different forms, sothat it will be operated in the above-indicated manner by relativeturning movements betwen the vehicle tractor and trailer components, onepractical arrangement being particularly illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 4and by way of example.

As illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, a U-shaped bracket I0 issecured to the underside of the tractor-carried fifth-wheel plate 2| anddepends from this plate with its legs 'II in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the plate and including a line passing perpendicularlyto the plate through the center of the aperture 3| and the axes of thepivotal connections between the plate lugs '33 and frame-carried lugs34. The bight portion I2 of this bracket is provided at its mid-lengthportion with a cylindrical bearing sleeve I3 in which is journaled thecylindrical hub 74 of a beveled gear I5 which rests upon the uppersurface of the bight portion 12 of the bracket and is held in contactwith this bracket surface by a nut I6 threaded onto the gear hub I4 atthe bottom end of bearing sleeve I3. This gear I5 has an elongated notch11 in the upper portion thereof opening at one end through asector-shaped opening I8 in the beveled portion of'the gear, and thetrailer-carried pivot pin 39 is provided on its bottom end with a key I9which fits into the notch 'I! when the trailer component is coupled tothe tractor component of the vehicle. As the pin 39 is fixed relative tothe trailer component of the vehicle, the gear I5 will be rotated in'thebracket I0 whenever the trailer component turns relative to the tractorcomponent of the vehicle.

Thebracket I0 is provided with a bearing arm 80 between the legs 'I I,and disposed forwardly of the pin 39 and a beveled pinion BI isjournaled in the bearing arm 80 and meshes with the beveled gear 15.

A double or oppositely-acting, variable resistance unit, such as thatdiagrammatically shown in Figure 6 at 66, is mounted in asuitablehousing 82 secured on the tractor frame I2, and this unit is operativelyconnected to the beveled pinion 8| by an encased flexible shaft 83, orby other suitable torque-transmitting means.

The portion of the conductor I00 between the variable resistance unit 66and the generator 6 field winding 48 is provided as a cable I65 havingon one end a plug coupling which may be plugged into a receptacle 84mounted in the housing 82 and electrically connected to the center point68 of the variable resistance unit. This cable I65 extends from thereceptacle 84 to a connection with the appropriate end of the generatorfieldv winding 48. The other portion of the conductor I00 is provided asa cable 265 which leads from a suitable receptacle 85 in the housing 82to the manually-operated, reversing switch I02, preferably mounted inthe cab of the tractor component of the vehicle.

With this arrangement, whenever the tractor component of the vehicleturns or swings relative to the trailer component, the beveled gear I5will be rotated by the pin 39 relative to the tractor component, andwill rotate the beveled pinion 8! which will, in turn, operate thevariable resistance unit contained in the housing 62 to interpose in theenergizing circuit for the field winding 48, a resistance whichprogressively increases with decrease in angularity between the tractorand trailer components of the vehicle below 180 degrees andprogressively decreases with increase in the angularity between thevehicle tractor and trailer components from an angle smaller than up toan angle of 180 degrees.

The variable resistance unit 66 is so constructed that at apredetermined angular relationship of the tractor component to thetrailer component, greater than degrees, the energizing circuit to themotor 26 will be substantially discontinued, thereby discontinuing thedriving effort of the trailer-driving motor 26 until the angularitybetween the tractor and trailer components of the vehicle is increased.The tractor will, of course, be powered at all times with thetractor-driving motor 22 and will apply the necessary tractive force tothe trailer to continue.

operation of the vehicle.

The invention may beembodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:

1. In an engine-electric driven vehicle including a tractor component, atrailer component pivotally connected near its front end to the tractorcomponent near the rear end of the latter, an engine-driven generator, atractor-driving motor, a, trailer-driving motor, and a control systemfor said generator and said motors, means incorporated in said controlsystem and responsive to angular movements between said tractor andtrailer components for progressively reducing the power output of saidtrailer-driving motor below the power output of said tractordrivingmotor in response to decrease in the angle between said vehiclecomponents, and for increasing the power output of said trailer-drivingmotor toward the power output of said tractordriving motor in responseto increase in the angle between said vehicle components up to an angleof degrees, said means comprising a doubleacting, variable resistanceunit carried on said trailer component and connected into that part ofthe control system controlling said trailerdriving motor, a beveled gearcarried by said tractor component and rotated by said trailer componentthrough the pivotal connection between said components, a beveled pinionmeshing with said beveled gear, and a torque-transmitting drive meansbetween said beveled pinion and said variable resistance unit.

2. In an engine electric driven vehicle includa tractor componentcarrying an engine and an engine driven generator, a trailer componentmounted at its front end on the rear end of said tractor component, afifth wheel assembly disposed between said tractor and trailercomponents and providing a pivotal connection therebetween, a tractordriving motor carried by said tractor component, a trailer driving motorcaried by said trailer component and wiring systems connecting saidgenerator to said driving motors, means for varying the power of saidtrailer driving motor in response to variations in the anguiaritybetween said vehicle components comprising a motor power controllingvariable resistance unit connected into the wlr ing system connectingsaid generator to said trailer driving motor, a first gear mounted insaid fifth wheel assembly and connected to said trailer component forrotation by the latter relative to said tractor component upon change inthe singularity between said vehicle components, a second gear carriedby said tractor compo lent and meshing with said first gear for rotationthereby when said first gear is rotated relative to said tractorcomponent, and flexible drive means connecting said second gear to saidvariable resistance unit to operate the latter by rotation of saidsecond gear, the connection between said gears and said variableresistance unit being such that the power of said trailer driving motoris decreased with decrease in the angularity between said vehiclecomponents and increased with increase in the angularity between saidvehicle components up to a col in which said components are inlongitudinal alignment with each other,

3. In an engine electric driven vehicle including a tractor componentcarrying an engine and an engine driven generator, a trailer componentmounted at its front end of the rear end of said tractor component, afifth wheel assembly disposed between said tractor and trailer conip-onents and providing a pivotal connection therebetween, a tractordriving motor carried by said tractor component, a trailer driving motorcarried by said trailer component and wiring systerns connecting saidgenerator to said driving motors, means for varying the power of saidtrailer driving motor in response to variations in the angularitybetween said vehicle components comprising a motor power controllingvariable resistance unit connected into the wiring system connectingsaid generator to said trailer driving motor, a first gear mounted insaid fifth wheel assembly and connected to said trailer component forrotation by the latter relative to said tractor component upon change inthe angularity between said vehicle components, a second gear carried bysaid tractor component and meshing with said first gear for rotationthereby when said first gear is rotated relative to said tractorcomponent, and flexible drive means connecting said second gear to saidvariable resistance unit to operate the latter by rotation of saidsecond gear, the connection between said gears and said variableresistance unit being such that the power of said trailer driving motoris decreased with decrease in the anguarlity between said vehiclecomponents and increased with increase in the angularitybetween said vehicle components up to a condition in which said components are inlongitudinal alignment with each other, said first gear comprising asectorgear having an opening extending from the center to the peripherythereof for the passage therethrough of the fifth wheel coupling pinwhen said vehicle components are coupled or uncoupled.

4. In an engine electric driven vehicle including a tractor componentcarrying an engine and an engine driven generator, a trailer componentmounted at its front end on the rear end ofsaid tractorcomponent, afifth wheel assembly disposed between said tractor and trailercomponents and providing a pivotal connection therebetween, a tractordriving motor carried by said tractor component, trailer driving motorcarried by said trailer component and wiring systems connecting saidgenerator to said driving motors, means for varying the power of saidtrailer driving motor in response to variations in the angularitybetween said vehicle components comprising a motor power controllingvariable resistance unit connecting into the Wiring syse tem connectingsaid generator to said trailer driving motor, a first gear mounted insaid fifth wheel assembly and connected to said trailer component forrotation by the latter relative to 1 tractor component upon change inthe angnla ty between said vehicle components, a sec on gear carried bysaid tractor component and meshinwith said first gear for rotationthereby when said first gear is rotated relative to said tractorcomponent, and flexible drive means connecting said second gear to saidvariable resistance unit to operate the latter by rotation of saidsecond gear, the connection between said gears and said variableresistance unit being such that the power of said trailer driving motoris decreased. with decrease in the angularity between said vehiclecomponents and increased with increase in the angularity between saidvehicle components up to a condition in which said components are inlongitudinal alignment with each other, said fifth wheel assemblyincluding a coup ng pin carried by said trailer component and ngflattened portion, and said first gear having a radially disposed slottherein receivini; the flattened portion of said coupling pin to provide a driving connection between said trailer component and said firstgear.

BERTON M. MATHIAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1874,6 34 Roche Aug. 30 if)2,140,109 Kellar Dec. 13. 1933 FOR'TGN PATENTS Number Country Date236,467 Great Britain July 9, 1925

